RIYADH – For four decades, Ali Ahmed al-Mulla has been the muezzin of GrandMosque of Mecca, in a family tradition handed down from one generation toother.
Muezzin Ali is nicknamed ‘Bilal’ of the Grand Mosque of Mecca following inthe foot steps of ‘Bilal’ the first Muezzin during Prophet Mohamed time,for his beautiful voice and fascinating stories and tales he talks aboutduring his preaching.
Born in 1945 in Mecca to a family of muezzins at Mecca Grand Mosque, hebecame the official muezzin in 1975 following the death of his uncle’ sonSheikh Abdullmalak al-Mulla. While his grandfather Sheikh Ali and hisfather Siddique and both his uncles and two of his cousins preceded doingthis job.
Al-Mulla says that the best news he heard was when his father informed himthat he will be the muezzin of the Grand Mosque of Mecca, adding that a lotof his friends also encouraged him.
Muezzin al-Mulla said he witnessed in 1979 the incident when prayer at theGrand Mosque was halted for 23 days when the Haram was besieged by Juhaymanal-Aoutaibi who occupied the Grand Mosque, and pledged allegiance to theperson who claimed to be the Mahdi under the Kaaba.
He added that after the blockade was lifted, he performed the first Azanduring Magherb prayer in the presence of King Khaled Bin Abdul Aziz.